Chapter Text
“Rooster! Get up!”
The frantic knocking on his hotel room door made him lift his head from his pillow but he didn’t do much more than that.
“Dude! C’mon, we’re going home!”
That got his attention. That, and the fact it was Bob yelling at him now instead of Natasha.
“Give me a second!” He yelled back, carefully sitting up. His hip throbbed as he reached for his crutches, finally getting up to stand. As he got out to the main area of the hotel room from his bedroom Maverick appeared from the other bedroom, fully dressed.
“Hey kid. Ready to go?”
“I only just woke up. Bob and Tash are at the door, can you let them in?”
Rooster went to let go of one of the crutches to scratch at his nose but Maverick caught him.
“You still need that Bradley, don’t let go.”
“I’m still itchy,” he complained. Maverick snorted, going over to open the hotel room door.
“Good morning Bob- and Tash, and Jake, and Reuben, and Mickey, and Javy. We have the whole squad, huh?”
“I got coffee,” Jake said as a peace offering. Javy held up a couple of brown paper bags.
“And I got breakfast.”
“What did you bring, Bob?” Maverick teased at the dark look on the WSO’s face.
“Myself,” Bob said dryly. Apparently he hadn’t had his coffee yet.
“Rooster! You’re up!” Fanboy exclaimed. He’d definitely had at least one coffee.
“Can you guys give me a minute to wake up?”
“I’ll get you a shirt,” Jake offered. He put the tray of coffee cups on the table near the door and ducked into the room Rooster had slept in the night before. It was the best night’s rest he’d had since coming to Chicago.
“How are you feeling?” Natasha asked, giving him a once-over.
“Better. Tired. What time is it?”
“It’s… too early to be awake,” Bob replied. He hadn’t even tried to glance at his watch.
“Cranky Bob is my favourite Bob,” Payback said as he took a seat on the arm of the couch. When Jake returned with a t-shirt for Rooster they worked to get it over his head, leaning on one of his crutches and using Reuben as his other. Maverick glanced over his team, a fond look crossing his face.
“You guys have come a long way, since the detachment,” he said. Everyone looked to him in confusion, but Maverick waved them off.
“Don’t mind me, I’m old and sentimental.”
“Mav, not before coffee,” Rooster deadpanned. He was grinning. There was another knock at the hotel room door.
“Daggers and Maverick, let’s go!” Cyclone called. Rooster glanced over at his bedroom.
“Can someone get my stuff?” He asked. The team leapt into action.
Finally at the airport, the team made it through security and headed out to the tarmac. Those who hadn’t been on the original flight to Chicago gaped at the jet they were about to get on.
“Holy shit,” Fanboy said, then immediately turned to Cyclone to apologise. To everyone’s surprise, Cyclone waved him off.
“I had that reaction too, the first time I flew with the Navy’s budget,” he said. They all crossed the tarmac to the stairs into the jet, where they conquered their first issue.
“There’s no way I’m gonna make it up those with crutches,” Rooster said, peering up at the entrance like it was a challenge.
“Here, give ‘em to Mav, me and Reuben can help you up there,” Javy said. Rooster wrapped his arms around their shoulders, keeping his injured leg relaxed. Together the three of them stumbled up the steps, Jake ready to catch them from behind. Once they were into the main part of the jet Rooster made his way over to the couch Jake had slept on when they’d flown to Chicago, flopping on to the comfortable seat. The rest of the team found seats and got ready for take off. They all waved at the pilots for the flight when they poked their heads out of the cockpit, and the pilots only looked slightly intimidated.
“I’m so tired,” Rooster yawned. Maverick snorted.
“Sit up for take-off, then you can sleep the whole way back if you want.”
“I can’t wait to get back,” Jake yawned as he leaned against the window. Natasha nodded.
“I’m so ready to get back in the air.”
“Leave will do that to you. You’ve still got another two weeks, save for Rooster who’s got another six and a bit to recover.”
“Sir, is there any chance we could have that pushed forward?” Jake asked Cyclone. He thought about it for a moment.
“I think we could push the paperwork through, yes.”
“Are we going back to our original squadrons?” Phoenix queried.
“Not quite. With your success on the last mission, the higher ups have requested that the seven of you be kept together.”
Phoenix and Bob shared a look. Maverick had known they were hesitant to be separated after they’d worked so seamlessly together.
“What about Mav?” Rooster requested, airing the elephant in the room (plane). Cyclone shrugged.
“Captain Mitchell has a position wherever he wants to go.”
“What if I said I was done?”
“Mav,” Rooster began. Maverick held up a hand.
“I’ve ejected twice in the span of a month, and I’m ready to go and settle down. Granted, it’s probably at least twenty years too late. I’m ready now, I think. I’m also ready for grandkids, just in case you’re holding out on me.”
“You’re not just saying that because I got hurt, are you- wait, grandkids? Mav, you gotta get la-”
Maverick slapped a hand over Rooster’s mouth before he could finish his sentence, the both of them flushing red.
“That’s the end of that joke. And no, kid; ever since we got off the carrier it’s been on my mind. I think- I think this is it.”
“We’ll miss you, sir,” Natasha piped up softly. Maverick squeezed her hand.
“I’ll still be around; you guys can come and visit any time.”
Rooster had gone quiet, staring blankly at the wall opposite him. The jet was gearing up for take-off so the conversation was put on pause for a moment.
“Mav?”
“You okay, Roo? Need painkillers?”
“No, no I’m good. It’s… retiring, Mav, really?”
“Yeah, Bradley.”
“Why now?”
“Well, first of all, that last ejection really hurt. The one before that hurt even more.”
“Mav.”
Rooster sent him a look that was all Carole, one that was no nonsense, no bullshit. Maverick cleared his throat, going over to sit by his godson. The rest of the team had promptly passed out five minutes after take off, which wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was the fact that Jake had his head on Natasha’s thighs and he didn’t look to be waking up any time soon.
“I think I spent the last thirty-six years chasing your dad’s ghost,” Maverick confessed. When he glanced up to check on Bradley, he was quiet.
“I think that, uh, afterwards, I thought that if I could be the best pilot, if I pushed and if I kept searching, then it would bring him back or I’d figure out what I did wrong. I knew it wouldn’t, but a part of me just wanted to keep searching. One last time, one last flight, one last hop, except it wasn’t one last hop, it wasn’t one last time. It was never one last time.”
“Charlie called it self-destructive behaviour.”
“Charlie shouldn’t have said that where you could hear it- wait, you remember Charlie?”
“How could I forget?” Bradley chuckled, “she took me to my first baseball game.”
Maverick smiled fondly. He hadn’t heard from Charlie in years. He hoped she was doing well. Last he’d heard, she’d only just retired after assisting the president’s aviation services for the last fifteen years.
“I burned a lot of bridges, Bradley. Even Ice and I didn’t speak for a couple years somewhere in there. I lost you, because of it.”
“You were following mom’s dying wish. I get it.”
There was no heat behind Rooster’s words. He’d forgiven Maverick for that the second they were back on solid ground after the detachment because he finally understood. The pair sat in silence for a moment, just taking in everyone around them.
“It’s time to stop chasing, Mav,” Rooster said. Maverick nodded.
“I know.”
“It’s time for you and Penny to get your shit together.”
“I was there when you were brought into this world; I can take you out if you want.”
Finally back in San Diego, the team hauled ass from the jet back toward their parked vehicles. Before hauling ass into Bob’s car Phoenix paused to give Rooster a hug, throwing her arms around his neck.
“Glad you’re okay, Roo.”
“Thanks for coming, Tash. You didn’t have to go all the way to Chicago because I got my ass into a car accident.”
“You would have done the same thing for me, asshole.”
Despite the teasing tone in her voice, Natasha’s eyes said everything Bradley needed to hear. They hugged once more then Phoenix got into Bob’s car, waving as he pulled out of the car park. Hangman put his aviators on, clearing his throat.
“You’re never gonna whore yourself out again, after that,” he said. Rooster burst out laughing, reaching over to shake his hand stumbling on his crutches.
“Thanks for showing up, Jake.”
“I was thinking about visiting Chicago anyway.”
“You hit on Detective Halstead the whole time!”
“And?”
“And I was in hospital? Writhing in pain?”
“Well someone has to do the flirting. Look where yours got you!”
Hangman and Rooster exchanged glances, then burst out laughing together.
“I’ll come see you tomorrow after I kick some ass in the air,” Jake said. Bradley shrugged.
“Maybe you’ll get your ass kicked.”
“No way.”
Jake unlocked his truck and climbed in, leaving Rooster, Cyclone and Maverick standing beside Maverick’s barely-used Jeep.
“Okay to get in, kid?” Maverick asked Rooster, who nodded.
“I got it.”
Cyclone loaded the backseat then shook Maverick’s hand.
“Thanks for having our backs, sir,” Maverick said. Cyclone… smiled?
“I got a letter about three days before you two finished the last detachment. It was straightforward, backdated to before his passing; here is a cheque, this is the Save Maverick and Rooster’s asses fund, please keep an eye on them. Call my wife if you need anything now that I’m gone.”
“Oh shit,” Maverick said as Rooster stifled a laugh, “Ice is still covering me.”
“Covering us. I’m offended, I don’t even have anything on my record,” Rooster said. Cyclone raised an eyebrow.
“Yet, Lieutenant Bradshaw. Behave yourself.”
Rooster looked to Maverick and made the oh well face with a subtle shrug. It was the same face he used to make when he was a kid right before he did something that would make Carole call him Goose’s Son (yes, you could tell she used capitals when she said it). Maverick was still a little scared of that face, all these years later. Cyclone waved them off, getting into his own car and making his way out of the car park. Maverick got into the driver’s side of his Jeep and reached over to run a hand through Bradley’s hair.
“Hey, kiddo. How are you feeling?”
“M’good, tired.”
“Not feeling nauseous, itchy?”
“No and no. My hip’s starting to ache but we’re nearly home so I don’t care.”
Rooster glanced over at Maverick, eyes soft.
“I already thanked Tash and Jake, but I didn’t ever thank you for going all the way to Chicago for me. Thanks, Mav, for being there when I needed you even if I didn’t realise at the time.”
“Bradley,” Maverick said softly, “I am always going to be there when you need me.”
“M’sorry I was an asshole, y’know, when I said the whole you’re not my father thing. I felt so suffocated and the only way to get everyone out was to say something mean. I wasn’t thinking.”
“We’re okay,” Maverick said. When Rooster furrowed his brows Maverick just shrugged.
“It wasn’t you talking. Of course I wasn’t mad.”
“Still. You didn’t deserve it. You are my dad just as much as Goose was, Mav.”
It still felt weird to call his father by his given name, if anything it was uncomfortable. Even passed, Nick Bradshaw was “Goose” to everyone who had known him.
“Bradley,” Maverick said as he started the Jeep, “I need you to know something.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“I’m really glad you’re okay, kid. When Jake got the call, I- I have to say I thought the worst.”
“I’m fine, Mav. I might be sore as hell for a while, but I’m good.”
“Very good, some might say.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise Hangman was here.”
The pair exchanged a look, and Maverick squeezed Rooster’s shoulder once more.
“Let’s get you home, kiddo.”
“I’m so excited for real food.”
“God, when are you not eating?”
"That hurts, Mav."
"No, it doesn't."
"No, it doesn't."